High performance specialty polymeric materials are desired for many applications. In particular, polymeric materials that can be used at relatively high pressures and/or at relatively high temperatures are desired for applications such as, for example, chromatographic media in high pressure chromatographic columns and proppant materials in the removal of oil and natural gas from subterranean formations. Polymeric materials suitable for these applications are usually crosslinked.
Divinylbenzene crosslinked polystyrene is an important polymeric system used as chromatographic media. Especially in the area of high pressure chromatography, it has been recognized that the use of higher pressures can impart even greater separation power. Thus, there is a growing demand for chromatographic media that can withstand greater pressures (and in some cases temperatures) without deforming.
Crosslinked polymeric beads have been used for oil recovery. The demand for oil has forced the oil industry to develop methods such as fracking in order to recover oil in hard to reach places such as shale rock formations. Such techniques require the use of proppant materials to keep fractures in the rock open (i.e., to prop the fractures in the rock open) so that the gas or oil can be extracted faster. The proppant materials must be resilient to deformation and fracture under the pressure and temperature conditions associated with oil recovery.